The most speculated, whispered-about-in-hushed-tones topic in college football got another data point recently: just how much longer will Nick Saban continue coaching?
"We've talked about that of course," said Ryan Williams, Saraland (Ala.) High School wide receiver. "He said he's going to be coaching until he croaks over. He got some time."
Now, that's just second-hand information, delivered from a teenager -- a highly-rated teenager (Williams is the No. 4 overall player in the class of 2025, per the 247 composite) sure, but a teenager nonetheless. But it's a data point.
Williams's testimony runs counter to the Arch Manning recruitment, when Saban reportedly could not promise Archie Manning he'd coach his top-rated grandson throughout his entire career, now underway at Texas. From Inside Texas:
Nick Saban wouldn’t give Archie Manning a guarantee he would be coaching at Alabama through Arch’s entire college career. That probably surprises some people that Saban wouldn’t say yes, but that was real talk.
Saban signed an extension through 2030 ahead of last season, which would take him through his 79th birthday and the end of Ryan Williams's college career, even if the 5-star takes a redshirt and a medical redshirt.
Asked by ESPN if he plans to coach through the end of that deal, Saban said, "Still alive? I sure plan to be here coaching."
Obviously, Saban's attuned to chatter about his eventual (professional) demise, which is why he signed such a long-term extension in the first place. He knows as well as anyone that a planned retirement is suicide on the recruiting trail. My take remains the same: he'll coach for as long as he can continue to do the job to his standard. Whether or not death interrupts that, only God knows.